NEW YORK (AP) — A month-long celebration LGBTQ+ Pride The festival wrapped up with a bang on Sunday, with throngs of people carrying rainbow flags taking to the streets of New York, Chicago, San Francisco and around the world.
The wide-ranging celebration served as both a joyous party and a political protest, with attendees recognizing the community’s accomplishments while also calling attention to recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed in Republican-led states, including bans on transgender health care.
A transgender artist performs during the Gay Pride Parade, the culmination of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
“We’re in a time when there’s a ton of anti-LGBTQ+ laws,” said Zach Overton, 47, at the New York parade. “It feels like we’re going backwards in the fight for equality, so it’s a great time to get out and be part of the community and see the different colors of the community and remember what we’re fighting for.”
Thousands of people gathered on New York City’s Fifth Avenue to celebrate Pride. Diane Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” blared over loudspeakers as floats cruised through the streets. Pride flags filled the skyline, and signs in support of Puerto Rico, Ukraine and Gaza were seen among the crowd.
This year, The war between Israel and Hamas It has also permeated celebrations in Gaza, Revealing the divide The community often agrees on political issues. Protesters briefly blocked a parade in New York on Sunday, chanting “Free Palestine, free Palestine, free Palestine!” Police eventually took some of the protesters away.
Pro-Palestinian activists disrupted Pride parades in Boston, Denver and Philadelphia earlier this month. Groups that took part in Sunday’s demonstration said they wanted to highlight the victims of the Gaza war, sparking backlash from Israeli supporters.
“We’ve certainly seen a rise in protest at Pride events this year,” said Sandra Perez, executive director of New York Pride, “but we were born out of protest.”
The first Pride March was in New York City in 1970. Stonewall Inn RebellionThe riots began with a police raid on a gay bar in Manhattan.
A vendor sells rainbow necklaces and other items during the annual Gay Pride Parade, the culmination of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, in Mexico City, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/John Auerbach)
Nick Taricco, 47, who marched with Overton in the New York parade, said on Friday Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center opensPresident Joe Biden spoke. Taricco said he was concerned about U.S. politics, including the presidential election.
“Given his advanced age, I think we should move in this direction,” Taricco said of Biden, “but it’s a very uncertain time in the country overall.”
Ireland Fernandez Cosgrove, 23, celebrated her victory with a parade in New York.
“New York is an amazing place to live, but today is one of the few days where I know I can come out and be openly queer and know it’s okay and safe,” she said. “I came here today with my partner so that we can be ourselves in public and know that others will support us.”
In addition to the New York Pride March, the largest in the nation, the city also held the Queer Liberation March on Sunday, an activist-led event that began five years ago amid concerns that mainstream parades were becoming too corporate.
One of the world’s largest Pride festivals took place in San Francisco on Sunday, with crowds lining Market Street.
Brian Peterson, organiser of the queer-friendly motorcycle club Homoto, rode his bike along the parade route.
“This is an event where you can celebrate yourself and your friends, make new friends and reaffirm that you belong in this world,” Peterson said. San Francisco Chronicle.
Tens of thousands of participants filled the sidewalks in Chicago’s parade. The event was scaled back from previous years. City officials shortened the route on the North Side and reduced the number of floats from 199 to about 150 this year, citing safety and logistical concerns. They also sought to deploy police more effectively at night, as post-parade parties have become more disruptive in recent years. Chicago’s parade, one of the largest in the country, typically draws about 1 million people, according to the city. Attendance figures for Sunday were not immediately available.
Parades were also held in Minneapolis and Seattle.
In addition to concerns about the protests, federal agencies Warned There is concern that foreign terrorist organizations and their supporters may target the parade or adjacent venues. Security was tight at all events.
